Huskies Open Paradise Jam Friday Against Wake Forest

ST. THOMAS, Virgin Islands — — The Huskies filed in from another long day of planes and buses, ready to work.

"We've put in the conditioning, [the players] have put in the effort, put in the time," coach Kevin Ollie said, "and they're going to come out and play good basketball. I truly believe that."

UConn has, so far, made good on its rookie coach's directives. The Huskies flew across the Atlantic and upset Michigan State. They played Vermont just 48 hours after arriving home and won by 19. Now they've reached St. Thomas, destination for the Paradise Jam tournament, in search of more wins, more credibility, more hardware.

"A lot of good can come from a trip like this," Tyler Olander said. "It's a chance for us to bond together. We'll have some fun. They set up some fun things for us to do, but it's a lot more fun if you can come home with a trophy."

The Huskies won this tournament four years ago and ended that season in the Final Four. Two years ago, a victory in the Maui Invitational was a precursor to a national championship. To bring home the title from this tournament, UConn must beat Wake Forest, a rebuilding ACC program, Friday at 6:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Network). The Huskies would then play the winner of the Iona-Quinnipiac game on Sunday at 9 p.m. If they advance to the championship game Monday at 10 p.m., they could play George Mason or New Mexico, top teams on the other side of the bracket.

"I don't know if we feel any differently about ourselves after two games," Niels Giffey said. "We just have to keep doing what we're doing. We've traveled a lot of miles, we have to take care of our bodies."

As soon as UConn arrived at the hotel, making the short trip from the airport in an open-air vehicle, they dropped their bags in their rooms, changed and headed straight for practice.

"We've got to get this jet lag off us a little bit," Ollie said. "And we have to work for an hour and 30 with some enthusiasm and effort."

Wake Forest went 13-18 last season, 8-24 the season before. The Demon Deacons won their season opener, beating Radford at home, but had 18 turnovers and allowed 18 offensive rebounds. They have senior C.J. Harris, one of the top returning scorers in the league, coming off a 19-point game. They also have 6-foot-7 junior Travis McKie, who had 11 points and nine rebounds in that game. Nearly everyone else in their rotation is a freshman. The Huskies have been outrebounded in both victories, but Wake was outrebounded by Radford, so this could be a frontcourt matchup the Huskies can win, although they have not played well enough to take any team lightly.

"They're very talented," Ollie said. "They've got a leading scoring in the ACC coming back, a great freshman point guard [Codi Miller-McIntyre]. It's going to be an intense, hard-fought game."

Defense has been UConn's signature. The Huskies held No. 14 Michigan State to 40 percent shooting and Vermont to 30 percent. Wake Forest coach Jeff Bzdelik is concerned about Shabazz Napier and Ryan Boatright, who have applied the pressure.

"They're salty, gritty, tough-minded guards that force turnovers," Bzdelik told the Winston-Salem Journal. "They didn't turn it over themselves and scored the ball. That's their strength, their guards. So we've got to do a great job handling the basketball and keeping them in front of us."

Payback Time

Ollie, as the school announced Wednesday, donated $100,000 toward the proposed basketball training facility.

"I just want to be a leader," he said, "and go out and show my loyalty to the university. They've done wonderful things for me and my family, and this is not just my donation, it's also my wife [Stephanie's]. They've given me the opportunity, a platform to do a lot of great things. They gave me a scholarship and provided a home for me and my family." … UConn, Quinnipiac and Wake Forest all arrived on the same flight Thursday afternoon. By NCAA rule, a team can't leave more than 48 hours before its first game. … Terrence Samuel, guard from South Shore High in Brooklyn, tweeted that he had signed his letter of intent. But since UConn had left the office, there was no one to receive it, so Ollie could not comment. The team's other commit, Kentan Facey, has not yet made it known whether he will sign during this November period.